Alpaca Training - Train me!
At Turkey Creek Alpacas we take pride in our well trained animals. We use methods taught by Marty McGee Bennett and John Mallon, and have formed some of our own methods as well.
Desensitizing
We have adopted John Mallon’s method for desensitizing our crias early on. Crias handled from birth are much more well-adjusted and easier to work with later on.
- If you are lucky enough to be there for the cria’s birth, start training right away! One very important note on this method, do not talk while you are working with the cria. The cria should bond to it's dam, not to you.
- Start with a total rub-down of the cria – (if the weather is cold, use a towel) don’t leave anything untouched – nose to toes. Especially work the legs and feet – get them used to your touch. Work at bending and un-bending the legs – this helps strengthen them when they are ready to get up.
- Work their face and mouth. If you have a small halter, work it on and off the face several times so they are used to this action. Put your (clean) fingers inside their mouth and work your finger around their gums. This is also a good time to check whether teeth have erupted and if they have a good suckling instinct.
- Rub their stomach, sides, legs and chest. Work your hands over their teats and anal region.
- Massage the cria for 30 to 45 minutes the first time. Then let the cria up to bond with the dam. Remember, NO TALKING!
- This method should be repeated in 4 hours and then again in 8, and again the next day. As the cria gets stronger, you will need to place the cria on his/her side and gently pin them down with your knee while you work.
- Start halter training your cria at 2 to 3 weeks old. Make sure the halter you are using is totally adjustable and fits properly.
Halters
Unruly animals are often the result of an ill-fitting halter. A loose halter can slide forward and cut off the animal’s airway – this alone will cause your animal to act like a wild animal! The halter is the most important piece of equipment in your barn.
- The noseband should be snug and fit right up under the eye. Allow enough room to fully open the mouth and chew cud.
- The crown piece should be snug and fastened behind the head close to the ears. When fastened, you should be able to fit no more than 2 fingers underneath. A snug fit is important to keep the noseband up where it should be.
- Don’t hesitate to remove the halter for adjustments. Simply slip your lead rope around their neck while you make the adjustments. The animal will appreciate your extra efforts.
A fully-adjustable halter is a must!
Training
There are various methods of training your alpaca but first and foremost, make it fun for both of you. If needed, a buddy can be placed in the pen as well. If you run into a hard-to-train animal, try leading them with one of your trained, easy-going alpacas. Or give them a month or 2 off. Maybe they’re just not ready.
- Work slowly. Start out by perfecting your catch method with that specific animal. Figure out what works best for that animal - they are individuals and all respond differently. Utilize a catch rope!
- Work your first few sessions just getting them used to having the catch rope around their neck. Let them understand that they still have their freedom to a certain point.
- Make your work sessions no more than 5 minutes to start out and as they catch on work a little longer.
- Once your animal has graduated to a halter and lead rope, work at just moving forward and turning. Again, keep your sessions short – no more than 10-15 minutes at a time.
- Once they have graduated at leading, add some fun things. Take them through doorways, up and down stairs, and walk them through shallow water, or ask them to make small jumps. This gives them something fun to do with you and your training becomes something they will look forward to.
Health and handling
A chute is definitely a handy item but we have found that most of our procedures can be done just as effectively without one. We generally work as a team on healthcare day, but there are instances where we have to work alone. Below are techniques we have found to work well for handling during procedures. Keep in mind that alpacas are “herd” animals and any time you can keep them with the herd, they will be much easier to deal with.
- The bracelet hold (2 persons). The alpaca’s long neck makes it really easy to grab your alpaca – unfortunately they don’t appreciate it much! Try this – hold one hand just under their jaw line and the other just behind their crown (under their ears). There is no need to ‘squeeze’ but hold firm and keep their head held high. We have found this works well with most of our animals and allows us to clip toenails, give shots, ultrasounds, etc. while allowing them to balance themselves.
- Haltering tie-off (1 or 2 persons). We have one gal that just needs to be haltered for her procedures. If you have a hard-to-handle animal, halter them and attach a lead rope. Wrap the rope once around a stationary post or pen panel making sure it cannot slide forward or backward. Stand next to the animal and hold onto the rope while the other person performs the procedure. If the animal bucks around, let go of the rope so they don’t injure themselves or you. If needed, you can use your body weight to pin the animal to the pen panel or wall while using this method. If you have a very difficult, hard-to-handle animal, use the chute!
- Chute (1 or 2 person). A chute should be constructed so that the animal can be tied off with easy-open fasteners that can be attached to the halter. The best chute we’ve found is one with 2 bars in the front that can be closed to pin the head in so they can only move so far. If working alone with an animal, the chute sides should be tall enough that the animal cannot jump out. A good chute will have the flexibility for open or closed sides & back allowing easy access for a number of various procedures. Our chute also holds our scale so we always take the opportunity to check weights when using it.
When handling your alpacas, always keep in mind that they don’t know what you are up to. Always do your best to let them trust you. Your mood will also affect their mood – if you’d had a bad day, plan your herd management for another day!
Please take a few moments to read an article by Marty McGee Bennett on handling, "Good Intentions, Serious Mistakes and Unintended Consequences"
We hope these tips and ideas help with your herd. We always welcome your input or new ideas! |
